Cleaning and recycling of aqueous based effluence from various mining, manufacturing and/or municipal facilities is handled in a variety of ways. For example, outflow from oil well drilling (as well as other mining processes) is directed to shallow settling ponds. This approach is unsightly, potentially hazardous, and involves usage of large amounts of water.
In response to such concerns, closed loop drilling systems are used which process the outflow on site using polymer flocculants and other chemical substances. Constant monitoring of these operations, in addition to personnel for operating the systems, is required however, thus adding to the costs associated with extraction. Close attention to monitoring is required (and thus skilled system attendants) to assure proper dosages of polymer flocculant to avoid incomplete removal of solids (under dosage) or the waste, expense and potential for solids restablization effect (and return to active drilling fluids jeopardizing mud chemistry and the drilling operation and tools themselves) inherent in over dosage.
While composition monitors, as well as closed loop drilling fluid processing apparatus, are knowing (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,103,181, 5,145,256 and 5,171,090), further improvement could thus be utilized.